Overview
To assure a broad foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, all students entering as freshmen are required to take two semester-long seminars in the first year relating to the theme of Community, Nation, and World.
In Community seminars, first-year students will be introduced to the political, social, artistic, economic, and environmental communities that exist in the Chesapeake region. In Nation seminars, students will explore a topic or issue of significance to the American community.
From a broad array of topics in the arts and sciences, students choose one spring semester World seminar. These seminars provide students with opportunities to explore diverse traditions and cultures from around the world.
CNW seminars include competency components in writing, research methodology, and the use of the computer as both a writing and information-gathering tool.
Writing Requirements: The Consultation Component of CNW
All students enrolled in Community/Nation and World courses must complete the Consultation Component of these courses, requiring TWO meetings each semester with Writing Center Instructors. Any student who does not fulfill this requirement during the semester in which he or she is enrolled in the course will receive an F for the course. Faculty should make sure that the Consultation Component of their courses is clearly explained on the syllabus. Additionally, they are encouraged to invite a member of the Writing Center staff to their classes early in the semester to explain the program. Faculty are further encouraged to work closely with the Writing Center staff to integrate the Consultation Component into the course and to monitor participation by their students.
Students who fail a Community/Nation course must retake a Community-Nation course in the following year and receive a passing grade.Students who fail a World course must retake a World course in the following year and receive a passing grade.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
"Students will have a number of course-related experiential learning opportunities."
— An Institutional Objective of CNW
All Community courses are required to contain an experiential learning component, the specifics of which being peculiar to and defined by the academic discipline that forms the content base of the course. It is expected that, where appropriate and possible, Nation and World courses have experiential components as well. The syllabus should be explicit in describing the kind and number of experiential learning activities as well as how they integrate into the course.
Museums
- Pennsylvania Museums
- The Franklin Institute Science Museum
- Delaware Museums
- Maryland Museums
- Babe Ruth Museum
- B&O Railroad Museum
- Baltimore Museum of Industry
- Baltimore Streetcar Museum
- New York Museums
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- American Museum of Natural History
- Virginia Museums
- Washngton DC Museums
- The Kennedy Center
Historic Sites
DC Area Theatres
Baltimore Area Theatres
Orchestras
- Washington, DC
- Maryland
- Pennsylvania
Zoos and Aquaria
Computing Component of CNW
"To enhance students' computer skills in word processing, information retrieval, and communication."
— An Institutional Goal of CNW
"Students will demonstrate effective use of word processing, information gathering and communication tools."
— An Institutional Objective of CNW
The syllabus for each course should contain a statement describing how the computing component is to be integrated into the course.
The syllabus should be explicit about the computing-based assignments, including the number and type.
Students should develop competencies in the use of word processing programs and electronic mail.
Students should be introduced to the critical use of the Internet and WWW and, where the academic discipline of the course warrants, spreadsheets.
Where appropriate, students should make use of the WWW and have opportunities to create web pages and use electronic presentation packages for oral reports.
Library Component of CNW
"To expand students' skills in locating useful, focused, and current academic resources in academic libraries and on the Internet."
— An Institutional Goal of CNW
Students will be able to use a broad range of information sources published in a variety of formats: electronic, print, and microform.
— An Institutional Objective of CNW
The syllabus will indicate a specific number of library-based assignments that will provide students with the opportunity to develop research skills.
Research instruction in the Community and Nation courses in collaboration with reference librarians will provide students with the basics of the academic library research, and an overview of the resources available through the library's web page. The course will include instruction on the information gathering process, how to search the on-line catalog, and how and where to locate materials within Miller Library or on the web page.
Research instruction in the World courses will expand on the research skills acquired in the first semester. Students will be required to use more advanced search techniques, to identify, select, retrieve, and evaluate information available in libraries, on the web page, and the Internet. In particular students will learn how to use periodical databases and indexes.
World courses will require students to demonstrate the research process in at least one assignment that requires extensive use of research skills and resources.